Power mine-shovel



P. B. BROWN.

POWER MINE SHOVEL.

APPLICATION F-ILED JUNE3. 1918.

Patented July 6, 1920.

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fvwezion- Bram/Y4 P. B. BROWN.

POWER MINE SH 0VEL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9 I918. v 1,345,991. Patented ly 6,1920.

4 SHEEIS-SHEEI 3.

P. B. BROWN.

POWER MINE SHOVEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNES, I918.

1,345,99 1 Patented July 6, 1920.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEEI 4. F .6

UNITED STATES :PATRIGK BROWN, 0F snENA noAn, PENNSYLVANIA;

POWER ivrrNE-sHovnL.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, PATRICK B. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Shenandoah, county of Schuylkill, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain. improvements in PowerMine-Shovels, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for use in mines, particularly coal mines, for removing the rock from gangways, or passages.

One object of'my inventionis to provide a power driven shovel carried by a boom, which will discharge into a conveyer which, in turn, carries the rock, or other material, to the rear of the carriage frame on which is mounted the mechanism for operating the shovel so as to enable the rock, and like material, to be discharged into a car mounted on the same rails as the car carryingthe shovel structure.

A further object of theinvention is to construct the boom and shovel so that the apparatus can be used in comparatively low gangways.

A still further object of the invention is to construct the shovel and the conveyer so that the shovelcan be moved back and discharged directly into the conveyer without materially elevating the shovel.

Another object of the invention is to construct the mechanism so that the shovel can remove material at either side of the center of the apparatus and discharge the contents into'the hopper of the elevator. The invention also relates to certain mechanism for driving certain parts of the apparatus which will be fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved power'mine shovel, illustrating it within a gallery of a mine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the front end of the machine;

Fig. & is a transverse sectional view on the line =l-4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a rear endview;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view, showing the driving and controlling mechanism for the several partsof the apparatus;

and I Fig; 7 is a diagrammatic sectional View on the line 7''?, Fig.6.

Referring to thedrawings, 1 is a frame which varri'es the structure. This frame Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented: July 6, 1920.

Application filedJun'e 3, 1918. Serial No. 237,915.

has boxes 2 for the axles. 3 on which are flanged. wheels 4 adapted to the tracks 5 located on the floor of the gangway of the mii'ie, 6 is the inclined frame supported on the main frame land this frame extends beyond the forward end of the frame 1 and to a. point in close proximity to the rails 5 on which the machine is mounted and at the rear of the machine is a horizontal section 7 suitably braced and forming a continuation of the frame 6. The height of this frame 7 is suiiicientto allow an ordinary'mine car 8 to be located under it upon the tracks 5. The side members of the frames 6 and 7 are spaced apart and located in this space is an endless belt conveyer 9, which passes around a roller 10 at the lower end of the frame 6 and a roller 11 at the rear end of the frame 7, and where the conveyer changes angle there are supporting rollers 12 and 18. In the present instance, the roller llis the driving roller and on the spindle of this rolleris abevel gear wheel which meshes with a bevel gear wheel on a longitudinal shaft let geared to a transverse shaft 15 which, in turn, is driven through a train of gears from a shaft 16, and this shaftis driven by a belt from a transverse shaft 17 mounted in suitable bearings at or about the centerofthe frame 1. This shaft'is driven from any suitable motor, preferably an electric motor 49. A. suitable clutch 66 is located between the pulley 64: and the shaft 17 and this clutch is under the control of a lever 67 at the operators station. By this mechanism, the conveyor travels in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, and transfers any rock that is discharged into the hopper 18 up to the, rear of the structure and discharges it into a car 8 located under the. outer end of the frame 7, as mentioned above. 7

It will be noticed that the forward end of the conveyer extends considerablybelow the frame 1 of the carand in close proximity to the rails 5. This construction obin a box '26 which spans the conveyer. This shaft has a. bevel gear wheel" at the upper end which meshes with a bevel gear":

wheel on a screw shaft 27 extending substantially the full length of the boom2O.

This screw shaft has its bearings at its-two 'extremeen'ds in, the boom. On! the screw shaft 27 is a sliding head28, which has a threaded opening for the "passage of the screw shaft 27, so that on turning the: screw shaft in one direction the trolley will move toward the'pivot of the boom and when turned in the oppositedirection it willfmove away from the pivot.-

The shovel 19 is carriedby an arm 29,

' which is pivoted to the head 2S at 30, and to the shoveliat 31, and connecting the forward end of thleshovel to this arm is'an adjustable bar 82 pivoted at 33 to the shovel and having a series of holes adapted to receive a pin' d so thatthe shovel can ,be adjusted to any angle desired' Atlthe forward end of the fshovel areprongs or blades 'o, which may be of 'any o shape desired and which engage the rock when the shovel is pushed forward into the mass of "loose rocks At the outer end of the boom are two grooved wheels 36 and on a Ushaped bail 39 pivoted to the forward end of the shovel 1s a grooved wheel '38. A r'ope'passe's around the wheels, from thelbail to. the rear of the boom and around grooved wheels 40. and 40 on abraced frame 7 c 41, and from this frame they pass to a drum 70 on a power drlven shaft 50. By actuating the drum andthe screw,thejshovel can be moved forward and into the mass of rock so that the rock Wlll pass into the shovel.

Then, by reversing the'movement the head is moved back toward the pivot of the boom and at the same'time the outer end of the bucket is raised so that the bucket will pass over the edge of the hopper '18, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1; The shovel 19 has a rear door 42 pivoted at 43 to the upper end of. the shovel and this door is normally closed by a suitable latch 44 to which is attached alchain l5 secured to a trigger onto the endless belt 9. This belt is at such an angle that the-rock will be carried by the belt to the discharge point.

It will be seen by thisconstruction that the ceiling y of the gallery can becomparatively low, asthe boom is fixed as regards any vertical movement, and as the shovel is elevated just enough to give it clearance to move from'its forward to its rear position,

very little space is required.

The great difficulty in manipulating power driven shovels prior to invention "was the'fact' that considerable head room was necessary to provide for the elevation of the boom and the movement of the shovel. It is very costly to out these galleries in the stone and by the use of my invention they need not be higher than is absolutely necessary for the. proper working of the mine cars 7 V V The vertical shaft 25 whichoperates the screw 27 is geared to "a transverse shaft 25 which is, in turn, geared to a longitudinal shaft 51 throughbevelgears and is geared,

mechanism shown in-diagram, Fig. 6. As

theclut-ch 65 is double face clutch, the screw will remain stationary when the sleeve is in the central position, and when moved to one side the screw'is turned so as to move the head forward andwhen moved to the opposite sidefthe screw "is reversed, causing the head to be retracted. -A- clutch 71 is located between the drum 70 and the shaft 50 and this clutch is controlled by a lever 72. Engaging the drum is an ordinary strap brake 7 3, which is controlled by a lever 'Tl so that the drum can be held by the operator in any position desired in order to position the shovel properly. Extending around 'the bull. wheel 52, which controls the lateral movement or swing of the boom, is a wire rope 53, which passes around guide wheels 75 too. drum 76 and this drum is mounted on a shaft 77, which is geared to a shaft 78 which, in turn, is geared to the shaft 50 through a double faced clutch 79"controlled by a lever 80. 81, is an electric switch at the operators station so that the operator standing at a given position can control all of the mechanism of the machine.

In'the present instance, the machine is self propelled and the axles 3 are driven through two longitudinal shafts 56 which are, in turn, geared to a shaft 57 which is driven by a-chain which passes around a sprocket wheel 50 on the shaft 50. A clutch 57 is located betweenthe gearing driving the axles and the shaft 57 and this clutch is controlled by a lever 82 at the 'operators' station. 7 V

l/Vhile I have described a given mechanism for controlling the several devices, this mechanism may be modified without departing from the essential features of the invention. l

At each rear corner of the frame 1 is a jack 61 provided'with an extension 62 having a head 63 which is arranged to engage the roof of the gallery so as-to lock the machine in position and to resist the pressure of the shovel in engaging the loose ma terial. These jacks may also be at the forward end of the frame, if found desirable.

58 is an electric service wire hung from the roof of the gallery and on the machine is a trolley pole 59 having a trolley 60 arranged to engage the wire.

By the above construction, it will be seen that I am enabled to construct a mine shovel which can be adjusted in galleries having comparatively low ceilings and as the boom is horizontally mounted and is fixed against vertical movement, and by the arrangement of the screw, or its equivalent, on the boom, the connection between the shovel and the boom can be comparatively short. This is due to the fact that in order to discharge the shovel into the hopper of the conveyer very little elevation is necessary as the re ceiving end of the conveyer extends to a point near the floor of the conveyer, being designed to elevate the material properly and to discharge it into a car at the rear. This shovel structure is mounted on the same tracks which are used for the mine cars.

By turning the boom horizontally on its pivot the shovel can remove rocks, or other material, from an extended area on either side of the tracks.

I claim:

1. The combination in a power mine shovel, of a frame; a centrally located box at the forward end of the frame open at its under side; an inclined belt conveyer mounted on the frame and extending through the opening in the box to a point beyond the rear end of the frame; a vertical shaft; a horizontal boom, the said shaft being supported by the box; means for supporting the upper end of the shaft and boom; means for moving the boom laterally; a head; a screw for traversing the head to and from the pivot of the boom; a shovel pivoted to the head and connected to the boom so that it can be moved rearward from its digging position with its load in order to discharge its load onto the conveyer.

2. The combination in a power mine shovel, of a car recessed at the forward end; a box open on the under side and spanning the recess; a vertical shaft supported by the box; means for supporting the upper end of the shaft; a horizontal boom mounted to swing on the shaft as a center; a screw shaft extending longitudinally on the boom and adapted to be driven from the vertical shaft; an inclined elevating conveyer extendlng through the opening 111 the box and in the recess in the front of the car and terminating at a point near the floor; a head on the boom arranged to be traversed by the screw shaft; and a shovel pivotally mounted on the head and so arranged as to receive material and on its backward movement to discharge material onto the conveyer, said conveyer having anextension at the rear of the car of a sufficient height to allow it to discharge into a mine car.

8. The combination in a mine shovel, of a car having wheels; a motor; a shaft geared to the motor; a second shaft geared to the first mentioned shaft; a boom at the forward end of the car; a shovel suspended from the boom; a screw on the boom con trolling the movement of the shovel; gearing between the screw and the secondary shaft by which said screw is turned; a clutch for changing the direction of movement of the screw; a rope extending to the end of the boom and attached to the shovel; a drum on the secondary shaft for the rope; a clutch controlling the movement of said drum; a drum driven from the secondary shaft and having clutch mechanism whereby the movement 'can be reversed; a bull wheel on the boom; a rope extending around the bull wheel to the drum so that in operating the drum the boom can-be turned laterally on its pivot; and means, operated from the first mentioned shaft, for driving the conveyer.

a. The combination in a mine shovel, of a frame recessed at the forward end; a box spanning the recess; an inclined conveyer mounted on the frame and extendin through the space -under the box an through the recess; a vertical shaft mounted on the box; means for bracing the upper end of the shaft; a horizontal boom pivoted to swing on the shaft but having no vertical movement; a screw extending longitudinally of the boom and driven from the said vertical shaft, said boom being in ,close proximity to the roof of the mine gallery; power means for moving the boom later ally; a head on the boom controlled by the screw shaft; a shovel pivotally mounted on the head and connected to the boom; and means for causing the shovel to discharge its load when retracted, the conveyer being in such position as to receive the load as it is discharged and to carry. it over the frame and discharge it at the rear end thereof. In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

PATRICK B. BROlVN. 

